Poetry and Wind Song

If we as educators fail to support our youth’s cultural capital and creative performances in the arts, we risk losing a generation of students to the standardization of today’s curriculum. I believe as educators, we have a responsibility to create a place within our schools where individuals and their ideas and ideals can flourish, and that by blending arts and integration and multiple intelligence theory, we are hopeful that our students will become life long learners. “The feeling that one belongs within the human circle, as the Native Americans say, should not be seen as privilege for a few” (Lake, p. 4). Learning and knowing must become a kind of adventure; one so authentic that students are able to develop their body, mind and soul both in and out of the classroom setting. The classroom should be child-centered, and according to Dewey, the teacher ought to “accept the child where the child is” and work from there (Wink, p. 106). Educators need strategies to move integrated arts back into the fore front of the curriculum. These value systems that both teacher, and students support reconnect them to the community at large.

This all sounds very utopian; however, today’s public school systems offer quite a different scenario for their students. No Child Left Behind mandates standardized testing and teachers in many cases are caught teaching to these tests to maintain high test scores, rather than developing their own in depth curriculum for their students, or utilizing Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory to facilitate higher learning. Classrooms on the whole do not value cultural capital, so individuals who come from diverse backgrounds may feel as though they do not have an acceptable way to express themselves at school. In a democratic school, students need time to name their subject matter, to reflect thoughtfully about what they learn about a subject, and most importantly, need more time to critically act based on this new knowledge (Wink, 123)

In schools today, a certain tension exists between this sense of creating a community of learners and creating a sense of individuality within the structure of a school day. How is it possible to find the time to allow student’s thoughts to roam free when standardized testing takes up so much class time? In some cases this testing is becoming the basis for classroom learning. The trick is for educators today to rise up and challenge the system by creating a place for art within their curriculum. These courageous teachers are the ones who will gain the most access to the creative minds of their students. These are the teachers who open minded and often refer to Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory for guidance as they develop their lesson plans. Gardner understood that intelligence is more than ‘the capacity to acquire new knowledge’. He defines it as “the ability to solve problems that one encounters in real life and the ability to make something or offer a service that is valued within one’s culture” (Silver, Strong + Perini, p.7). These teachers aren’t afraid to experiment with lessons plans that are developed to teach utilizing the eight different intelligences: linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, musical, logical, visual/spatial and body kinesthetic in their classrooms. They represent role models for educators in the future. After all, what is truly worth knowing is the information that each student is able to take away from a class and apply later on in his or her own life. What better way to convey information than to teach children early on how to identify with and learn, utilizing all eight intelligences? This type of education is described as being:

“the medicine which takes hold. It is the whole set of changes produced in a person by learning. The difference between an educated person and an uneducated one is he knows how little knowledge is connected to every other piece. The world needs freedom, and the only way we can get it is through education. The ideas of the spirit of humanism are carried not in pamphlets or proclamations but in minds and hearts…”(Bigelow, p. 133).

The main thrust of this effort should consists of ‘strong arts=strong schools’. “The arts humanize the curriculum, and also affirm the interconnectedness of all forms of knowing” (Fowler, p. 4). Creating a work of art involves making a personal connection with the work, and is a powerful act for the student and for the facilitator. Then, the feeling that the artwork creates makes up another layer of significance. We learn to respect the work of our students, as they respect the time that we take as educators to provide them with appropriate feedback. In this manner, students begin to cultivate a sense of place in the classroom, and hopefully a sense of self-worth and belonging, as well. Art teaches us that our human potential is boundless (Fowler, p. 8). What children learn early on impacts their future learning abilities, so it is especially important for their early years to be filled with joyful learning experiences. They need to develop the appropriate skills, attitudes and work habits from the start. Learning experiences build one after the next. For example, when the brain first registers something, the experience is filed. The second time, it is actually recognized as having meaning. This is why the arts can be viewed as a ‘cognitive restructuring’ experience. When one area of the brain develops it makes room for future overlaps (Caterall, p. 154). Caterall emphasizes in her article that cognitively speaking, all students will benefit from the inclusion of art in the curriculum, including those students who may have been underachieving before (p. 155). Studies also have shown that schools that have strong arts programs have more students who are excited and motivated to learn. These are the kids who are given the play time, as well.

Dramatic play in the classroom, as well as recess time is important to maintaining a robust student body. According to Piaget, ‘play is the serious business of childhood’ (Sylwester, p. 33). For example, when I first started teaching in the Florida public school systems this past fall, I took a creative approach to start with my students. My seventh and eighth grade gifted students were given at least a half an hour each day to write and ten minutes to share their responses. I found that after the first few weeks, the students became quite comfortable speaking in front of their peers. As the schedule was structured, my students had little time to play there were only five minutes between periods. Even their lunch hour was rushed and highly regulated, so as I became aware of this I decided to try an experiment with my eighth grade students. I had this group two periods in a row. One period was for Language Arts and the other was for silent sustained reading. What I did was allow the students to have a short recess between classes within my classroom. Eventually, the time became productive. One student, who was strong in theater performed monologues on several occasions. The time became a time for the students to get to know one another a bit. They were able to form a bond together as a group; not an easy feat with such a diverse group of students.
It is important for educators to realize that what is taught in their classrooms effects students learning in the future. The disciplines are not isolated. Both motion and emotion are essential to the arts and to life. Powell goes on to describe this concept as follows:

“Art soothes pain! Art wakes up sleepers! Art fights stupidity! Art sings hallelujah! Art is for kitchens! Art is like good bread! Art is like green trees! Art is like white clouds in blue sky! Art is not business! It does not belong to banks and investors. Art is food. You can’t eat it but it feeds you. Art has to be cheap and available to everybody. It needs to be everywhere because it is inside the world. Hurrah” (Powell, p. 6).

As art educators, it is always important for us to be aware of the ‘other point of view’, as well, the point of view that is either being silenced by the presentation or by the speaker. By this I mean, whose voice is being represented in the material being presented to the students. There are always blind spots in a traditional curriculum, certain voices that are being left out, and as educators, it is our responsibility to provide a wide variety of materials for our students to learn from. When the library finally opened at the school I worked at in Florida, it did a good job addressing this issue within the schools curriculum. Bilingual students had access to books written for kids making the transition into English speaking classrooms. The school provided the middle school students with literature by authors that the kids could relate to at a personal level, as well. The key was to create a classroom environment that allowed for plenty of reflection and critical thinking to take place. Activities outside the traditional classroom also provide avenues for students to explore learning that involves taking sensible risks. Community organizations emphasize the importance of keeping the youth motivated outside the classroom setting. Young learners are often involved in making important decisions for the organization, by both strategizing and organizing. These activities are a wonderful dress rehearsal for the adult every day life (Burton, p. 26). As Longley states:

“Tomorrow’s workforce-and, especially, its leaders-will need to broaden its abilities beyond technical skills. There will be a demand for people who are creative, analytical, disciplined, and self-confident-people sensitive to the world around them. Hands-on participation in the arts is a proven way to help children develop these abilities” (Longley, p. 71).

Teachers must be willing to open their hearts and minds in order to allow their natural intuitive abilities guide them in order to meet the needs of tomorrow’s students. Knowing when to switch gears for a particular student, or an entire class is a gift. Luckily, thanks to educators who have come before us, we have a firm foundation from which we may build from. From John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Carl Marx to Gandhi, all of these great leaders have provided us with ideas and ideals to follow. Dewey with his child-centered model, Freire with his powerful statement about paying full attention to students questions in order to ensure a humanistic approach in the classroom, Marx and his belief that education was being used as a vehicle for institutionalizing the elite values and indoctrinating people into ‘unconsciously maintaining those values’ (Wink, p. 95) and Gandhi’s belief that education should aim at ‘developing an individual’s body, mind and soul’ are all strong examples. For Gandhi, the body is important for earning a living, the mind important for bringing in creativity, and the soul is crucial for building character (Wink, p. 104).

Teachers today ought to be asking questions like ‘is there an inherent sense of beauty that can be found in the material being presented? How will this particular lesson affect my students’ daily lives? Are the bilingual students sitting in the classroom being
challenged and attended to? If so, how will teachers meet their needs? Students today come into our classrooms already weighed down by the outside world and its strange
materialistic focus. Many feel estranged from their own past histories, as well as from the history of this country. It is the teacher’s job to create an atmosphere in which students become empowered learners. It is important that teachers are aware of this divide, and strive to avoid preaching about the standards. Instead, teachers ought to be modeling a healthy check and balance system within their classrooms. Most importantly, the progressive teacher must be humble to allow for the students to gain a sense of ownership over the work that the students are to learn (Wink, p. 86). Teachers who allow for this kind of flow in their classrooms demonstrate by example a serious commitment to the quality and authenticity of the creative process. These teachers also know how to eliminate awkward power dynamics within their classrooms, simply by remaining receptive to learning new lessons each day. Art lessons that focus on student centered activities encourage such an environment. Students who understand their cultural history and the history of the world around them are better prepared to create powerful artwork and images depicting ‘where we might be headed’ (Noel, p. 6).
When teachers are successful, the classroom is able to break the mold of tradition and forge a path for change (Bigelow, p. 29). They encourage students to share their cultural capital, their home language and the traditions that have made them the people they are today. Such teachers and schools serve as models of a democratic system, and the students within them become familiar with the flexible readjustments that occur within a structured democracy by learning new ways of thinking about and adjusting to social change (Wink, p. 122). Creating a strong art emphasis in the classroom is critical; for creating such an atmosphere involves drawing from sources from deep within. Transformation occurs when the arts speaks to the heart.

“It’s like finding good water in an unused well.
First you have to remember the spot where the well
was located and then search beneath weeds and brambles….

Someone might have put a heavy, locked cover on it for
safety. You lug back the top and peer down into the dark hole,
just barely seeing water when your eyes get used to the light.
In the first tentative bucketful, the water is dirty, full of decaying
leaves. So you put the bucket down deeper and deeper to drink,
and pretty soon-

you are drawing up cool, clean water that you can drink. And then
you invite your friends to taste that sweet water.” (Powell, p. 2)


Annotated Bibliography

Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia: Alexandria.
Armstrong describes each of the eight intelligences as identified by Gardner. His informal checklist identifies personal strengths in intelligences and practical ways to use them in the classroom. This book is a valuable tool for teachers at any level.

Berriz, B. (n.d.). Raising Children's Cultural Voices. In Rethinking Schools Online. Retrieved Summer, 2000,from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/bil144.shtml. Berta Berriz teaches third graders in the Boston Public Schools. In this article, she describes her experience teaching bilingual students and shares her teaching strategies with the reader. The article emphasizes the importance of developing literacy through journal writing, autobiographies and publishing projects. Second language students benefit from her sheltering approach and feel a sense of accomplishment when their work is published.

Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2000). Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Our Classrooms, Two.
Rethinking Our Classrooms includes a wide variety of articles that promote teaching the values of community, justice and equality in the classroom. The journal is a valued source of critical teaching information that serves to connect educators to their high aspirations and their curriculum content. It includes over 75 articles and highlights creative lesson plans, poetry idea for the classroom and even articles, essays and handouts.

Brooks, J. G., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social Justice in the classroom. In Educational Leadership (52(3), 4-9). Retrieved April/May, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. Social Justice in the Classroom is an article thats speaks about the 'cultural capital' that students bring to the classroom. By this the author means, the certain artistic preferences, languages and knowledge bases that students bring to the classroom. The emphasis is that given today's curriculum some students may not feel at liberty to express themselves freely in the classroom.

Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., & Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the Classroom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
Renaissance in the Classroom is a book meant for art educators and policy makers alike that makes a case for teaching art education in the classroom. Within its pages educators have access to a visionary guide to K-12 curriculum unit planning. The focus being that educators today have the power to go beyond the traditional, linear methods of instruction and make careful choices to create positive change in the classroom.

Burton, J., Horowiitz, R., & Ables, H. (1999). Champions of change: The impact of arts on learning Imaginative Actuality. In Learning in and through the arts:Curriculum implications (pp. 35-46). Retrieved June 17, 2007, from Google Champions of Change Click on (PDF) Champion Report database.
When young people organize together they have the potential to make projects stronger. In the article Imaginative Actuality, the abudance and intensity of such a practice is described in detail as the authors speak together about creative planning for today's youth. Strategy building is emphasized as a way to encourage youth development as creative collaboration with adults in the community.

Catterall, J. S. (2002). Critical Links. In Arts and the transfer of learning (p. 161-172). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from PDF Web site: http://aep-art.org/cllinkspage.htm.
Learning experiences build upon each other, and according to research gathered in The Arts and the Transfer of Learning the article emphasizes that learning in the arts facilitates such action. The article compares the ways in which children learn and provides figures that depict the correlation between the arts and academic and social outcomes. The article is useful because is shows how the building skills in the arts fosters student motivation.

Fowler, C. (1994). Strong Arts, Strong Schools. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
According to Fowler, in an ideal academic setting the arts take a place in the fore front of our school curriculum. The article states that the arts allow for a humanistic approach to education. On the other hand, schools who do not follow this model allow room for barbarism. This is mainly due to the fact that without the arts students aren't included in the emotional, intuitive and irrational aspects of learning that may not be easily explained by science alone.

Lake, R. (1990). An Indian Father's Plea. In Teacher Magazine. Retrieved May/June 15, 2007, from http://www.msublings.edu/shoobs/Wind_Wolf.htm.
Lake's article begins with a letter addressed to Wind-Wolf's teacher describing Wind-Wolf's educational setting. Wind-Wolf is an Indian boy who begins school in an integrated classroom. Wind-Wolf's father makes the point to the teacher that just because Wind-Wolf needs more time to process emotional material doesn't mean that he is a slow learner. He is an example of a student who brings a great deal of 'cultural capital' to the classroom that ought to be acknowledged. Longley, L. (1999).

Gaining the arts literacy advantage. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
It is quintessential that we continue to build our literacy programs in our public school systems and arts education strongly supports this venture. Longley builds a case for literacy reform in this article and introduces national studies that support her findings. The article encourages school districts question whether they have teachers, principals and with proper training.

McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In Independent School (49(2)). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premiere database.
McIntosh states that the feeling of power and belonging within a community should not 'belong to a privelaged few'. The hierarchies that exist within society and acts of racism that occur are not always merely individualistic attacks. The point the author makes is that being white puts her at an advantage; but she is still beneath the working class of men. Status in society is a responsibility and it is not to be taken for granted.

Noel, J. (2003). Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In Multicultural Education (10(4), 15-18). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Pro Quest Database.
Noel describes the arts based approach to multicultural education in her article Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In her cohort group, as she studies for her Masters they discuss social justice issues: the history of oppression, cultural and socio-economic. The class learns about racism and prejudice and expresses their reactions and reflections to these topics through artwork that produces 'social transformation' within the group for participants.

Powell, M. (1997). The Arts and the Inner Lives of Teachers. In Phi Delta Kappan (78(6) 450-453). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Lesley University's Creative Art's and Learning Masters degree recognizes and encourages teacher creativity within the classroom. The article describes the program and its main component inspiring teachers in the areas of poetry, visual arts, music, dance, drama and storytelling as they learn to include these strategies in their curriculum. Teaching is about opening this invitation, teachers learn to let their students know that the arts belong to all students.

Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn:Integrating Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, V.A.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Looking for hands on organizers to help you teach while utilizing Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory, look no further. This book is a useful tool as it addresses one of our greatest challenges to date: learning how to encourage diversity in our classrooms, while we promote a challenging curriculum for all students. This book includes instructional models, actual curriculum and assessment stategies to model.

Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. In SEED. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/curriculum.html.
This article highlights the importance of understanding another person's frame of reference when entering into an educational dialogue. This method ensures that the outsider, the individual who may be needing clarificaton as to whose voice is being represented via the curriculum being presented is heard. The subordinate voice needs to be heard and this article explains how subtle changes in perspective when presenting curriculum can make a big difference.

Sylwester, R. (1998). Art for the brain's sake. In Educational Leadership. Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Artistic activity encourages soul development, as Sywester aptly points out in his article Art for the Brain's Sake. This article delves into ideas surrounding self-concept, as well as serotonin fluctuations in children. A correlation has been found between children who are able to develop fine motor skills early on and who benefit from good art programs; they tend to develop higher serotonin levels. Therefore, educators must note that motion and emotion develop together and should be nurtured in the classroom setting.

Wink, J. (2000). Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World. Stanislaus, CA: Addison Welsey Longman.
Pedagogy opens up a door to a more in depth understanding of teaching and teaching terminology for effective use in the classroom and the community at large. The personal narrative voice of the author invites the reader in to truly take in the experience as educator faces today's challenges and includes voices of past educators, as well as our present day teachers.

Bibliography

Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia: Alexandria.

Berriz, B. (n.d.). Raising Children's Cultural Voices. In Rethinking Schools Online. Retrieved Summer, 2000, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/bil144.shtml.

Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2000). Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Our Classrooms, Two. Brooks, J. G., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social Justice in the classroom. In Educational Leadership (52(3), 4-9). Retrieved April/May, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., & Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the Classroom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates. Burton, J., Horowiitz, R., & Ables, H. (1999).

Champions of change: The impact of arts on learning Imaginative Actuality. In Learning in and through the arts:Curriculum implications (pp. 35-46). Retrieved June 17, 2007, from Google Champions of Change Click on (PDF) Champion Report database.

Catterall, J. S. (2002). Critical Links. In Arts and the transfer of learning (p. 161-172). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from PDF Web site: http://aep-art.org/cllinkspage.htm. .

Fowler, C. (1994). Strong Arts, Strong Schools. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Lake, R. (1990). An Indian Father's Plea. In Teacher Magazine. Retrieved May/June 15, 2007, from http://www.msublings.edu/shoobs/Wind_Wolf.htm. Longley, L. (1999).

Gaining the arts literacy advantage. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In Independent School (49(2)). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premiere database.

Noel, J. (2003). Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In Multicultural Education (10(4), 15-18). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Pro Quest Database. Powell, M. (1997). The Arts and the Inner Lives of Teachers. In Phi Delta Kappan (78(6) 450-453). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn: Integrating Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, V.A.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. In SEED. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/curriculum.html.

Sylwester, R. (1998). Art for the brain's sake. In Educational Leadership. Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. Wink, J. (2000). Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World. Stanislaus, CA: Addison Welsey Longman.